Love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8-
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Let me start off by saying that I am not an intellectual blogger. I write from my heart, and find it very difficult to incorporate a more science or evidence based style. And although I am Christian, it becomes clearer every day that it's of the more liberal persuasion. I've also started and stopped this post many times since sitting down to write it. So, with that in mind, I want to share some thoughts about teaching our children about love, compassion, sin, and how our beliefs in Christ figure in all of it.



Most Christian families want their children to be "salt and light" to the unbelieving folk around them. I've come to believe that for our family, being in a position to be "salt and light" comes first from showing Christlike love to all we encounter. This can be particularly challenging when it comes to people we don't really like, or those whose sins we find especially offensive. Keeping that in mind, our family recognises that no sin is worse than the other in God's eyes, that Christ will meet you were you are, and that salvation through the blood of Christ is available to all.
If you are a Christian reading this as well, what was the first verse you memorized or heard? Probably this one:

John 3:16-
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Think about it for a moment. God so loved the world...
Not "For God so loved the good people..." or "For God so loved the religious people..." or "For God so loved the straight people...". God loved the world. All of us, past and present and future. His love is so great we cannot understand it. His love is so all-encompassing that His Son died for every single one of us, good and evil, straight and gay, religious or not.
Husbeast and I feel that it's critical for our children to know this simple truth. Not one person is unqualified to accept salvation under Christ. By this, I mean that there is no one who is so bad, so evil, so sinful that God will turn them away if they genuinely come to Him, asking for salvation, understanding that Christ died for their sins, rose on the 3rd day, and having conquered death and sin, now resides on the Throne in Heaven, and will one day return in glory.
Now, for our family, this translates into a firm anti-bullying stance for ourselves and our children. If we believe all humankind was created in His image, designed to love and glorify Him, then we must treat all others as precious children of the Most High. And believing that, bullying of any form has no place in our home. In no other area has this been tested quite like within our own family.
Last year, we celebrated with my sister-in-law as she married her bride. Here in CT, marriage equality is alive and well. Although we caught a lot of flack and lost a few friends, it was important to us to stand by our family in love.

The happy couple, 9/18/10

My boys walking their beloved auntie down the aisle.

We firmly believe that the very best way to present Christ to anyone is with love. How can I expect myself or my children to be that aforementioned salt and light if we cannot carry ourselves with love? If God's love for us all is so great, how can we as a family expect others to respond to the Gospel call if we do not show them love? Ultimately, we want others to look at us and see Christ's love for them by our actions.
I truly believe that it's important to teach our children that compassion and tolerance are key to living a life that will lead others to Christ. When someone knows you have compassion for them, they are far more likely to listen with an open mind to whatever you have to say. We share the Good News with others because Christ commanded us to do so, but also because we want everyone to accept Him. I don't know about you, but I don't want to see anyone I know, even passingly, to end up in Hell, particularly if I could have presented the information they needed to come to Christ.
Love is a wondrous thing. It has the power to heal wounded hearts, mend fences, cheer up strangers, and bond people closer together. I encourage you to carry yourself in love, regardless of your religious beliefs. Only good can come of it!

1 Corinthians 13:12-13- And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.